Good and Loving Father

Text: John 8:31-59

Thesis: Find your identity in your good and loving Father in Heaven.

Application: As adopted sons and daughters of God, we must live in likeness of our Father.

Reading of the Word

John 8:31-59

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’ ?”

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. Now the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you are seeking to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak of the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.”

They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born as a result of sexual immorality; we have one Father: God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I came forth from God and am here; for I have not even come on My own, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I say the truth, you do not believe Me. Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? The one who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not rightly say that You are a Samaritan, and You have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; on the contrary, I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. But I am not seeking My glory; there is One who seeks it, and judges. Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone follows My word, he will never see death.” The Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets as well; and yet You say, ‘If anyone follows My word, he will never taste of death.’ You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died, are You? The prophets died too. Whom do You make Yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’; and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him. And if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you; but I do know Him, and I follow His word. Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day, and he saw it and rejoiced.” So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, aI am.” Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and left the temple grounds.

Intro

Everyone Has a Father

Today’s passage details an encounter between Jesus and a group of Jews, and the conversation revolves around the topic of fatherhood. Everyone has a father. Whether you love your father or hate your father, whether you know your father well or you don’t know him at all, whether you look just like your father or you look nothing like him, we all have a father. Our fathers can be the most joyful and encouraging parts of our lives, or the thought of our fathers can bring incredible pain. Regardless of whether your father was good or bad, you have one, and your life has been shaped by his involvement (or lack thereof).

What Makes a Father?

The Center of Jewish Identity - Abraham and God as Fathers

Father as Source

Father as Family Head

Sometimes Your Source and Your Head are Two Different Fathers

“He may have been your father boy, but he wasn’t your daddy.” - Yondu, GotG 2

Father of Truth

Truth is found in God and flows from God.

By contrast, the Enemy spews lies.

Father of Freedom

In God, there is Freedom.

By contrast, the Enemy leads to slavery in sin.

Father of Life

God is the fullness and source of all life.

The Enemy rejoices in our death and brokenness.

Outro

Accept your adoption by God, and live like a member of His family.

There is no better Father, and there is no better family to be a part of. This father is the epitome of goodness and love:

The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth; who keeps faithfulness for thousands, who forgives wrongdoing, violation of His Law, and sin

(Exodus 34:6b-7a)

Beloved, let’s love one another; for love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

(1 John 4:7-8)

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves the child born of Him

(1 John 5:1)

Practical Application: Know your identity as a Son or Daughter of the living God, the good and loving Father

Live in accordance to the character of the Father, represent Him well.

And know that when God does act justly, He is doing so to correct and defend His children and His creation.